Hydraulic engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet C. E. FOSTER.

HYDRAULIC ENGINE.

No. 404,528. Patented June 4, 1889.

r I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. E. POSTER.

HYDRAULIC ENGINE. No. 404,528. Patented June 4, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E FOSTER, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEHYDRAULIC ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HYDRAULIC ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,528, dated June 4,1889.

Application filed January 7, 1884. Serial No. 116,674. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Engines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a hydraulic engine constructed, as fully describedhereinafter, so IO that the water may be brought to act under pressureupon the piston, and so that the return movement may be effected by theweight of the load, while the water circulates from one end of thecylinder to the other with little or no waste.

In the drawings, Figure I'is a sectional elevation of a hydraulic engineembodying my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sectional elevationsshowing the parts in different posi- 2o tions. Fig. 5 is a detached viewshowing a valve-locking device.

The cylinder A is shown in a vertical position, but it may be horizontalor inclined, and may be combined with any mechanism or 2 5 appliances tobe operated, as an elevatorplatform, gun-carriage, turret, &c.

The piston B is connected to the piston rods or rod C, which extendsthrough the usual packing-box, and the motor-fluid under pressure isconveyed through a pipe D to a valvechest E, and is admitted to thecylinder ends through pipes F G. The chest E has discharge-portsoo y atopposite ends, each com municating with the discharge-pipe H, and a 3 5valve I in the chest is constructed in any suitable manner to permit themotor-fluid to be directed to either end of the cylinder A, and

the opposite end to be simultaneously put into communication with thedischarge-pipe 40 H, and also to permit the motor-fluid to be wholly cutoff from the cylinder A. As shown,

the valve consists of a spindle a, with a cylinder-valve c and disks 1)d, and with a rackextension engaging with a pinion on a shaft e,carrying a pulley J round which passes the operating-rope IV.

In a pipe or'channel K between the pipes F G is a valve L, with a port20, and in the valve-case is a port 11, communicating through a pipe jwith a tank or reservoir M of water.

hen the valve I is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the water passes tothe lower end of the cylinder A, lifts the piston, and the water abovethe piston is discharged from the upper end of the cylinder. When thevalve is in the position Fig. 3, the water enters the upper end,depresses the piston, and the water below the piston is discharged fromthelower end of the cylinder.

hen the piston B has been carried in either direction under pressure asfar as is desirable, and it is requisite to return it, I avoid waste ofwater by putting the opposite ends of the cylinder into communication,

closing the communication with the supplypipe D by bringing the valve Ito the position shown in Fig. 2,'the valve L being also adjusted topermit the water to circulate through the passage to from one end of thecylinder to the other.

It would not be practicable to circulate the water from one end to theother of the cylinder A without some provision for compensating for thedifference in capacity of the cylinder upon opposite sides of thepiston, re-

sulting from the presence at one side of the piston-rod C. I thereforeuse a tank or reservoir M as a receptacle and supply. The operation ofthis tank will be best understood from inspection of Figs. 2 and 4:.

In Fig. 2 the communication with the supply-pipe D is shown as cut offafter the piston B has been lifted by water under pressure. The valve Lis now open and the piston B dey scending by the weight of the load, thewater passing from below the piston through the pipes G K F to the topof the piston. As the space above the piston, owing to the presence ofthe rod 0, is less than that below it, there is a certain amount ofsurplus water from the 0 lower space, which passes through the ports w'2) into the tank M, the piston descending under the pressure of theload without other loss of water than that which passes into the tank,and which is equal to the amount displaced by the piston-rod. After thepiston has been again raised it may be lowered under the weight of theload, as before, the tank M receiving the displaced water. Where thepressure has been brought upon the upper 10o side of the piston and thelatter forced tothe position shown in Fig. 4, and the effect of the loadis to draw out the piston, the valve L is opened to permit the water tocirculate as before; but in this case, as shown in Fig. 4, the waterpasses from the upper side of the piston to the lower side, there beingtherefore insuflicient water from above to fill the space below thepiston, so that a part of the water from the tank 11 will flow throughthe ports 4* to into the Circulating stream and will supply thedeficiency.

It will be evident that where the pressure is frequently changed fromone side of the piston to the other the water displaced at one strokewill be taken up at a subsequent stroke, so that there is little, ifany, actual waste.

It is of course important that the valve L shall not be opened at thetime the pipe 1) in communication with the cylinder. I therefore providemeans for locking the valve L until the valve I has closed the portleading to the pipe D. Different means of effecting this will dependupon the kind of valve device used and will occur to any one skilled inthe art. That which I have devised is shown in Fig. 5, and consists of aspindlef, carrying a drum g, and revolved by a worm and wheel from therevolution of the spindle e, and a lever N, with two lugs m n, forengaging in notches 11 in a disk P on the spindle of the valve L. Thelever N is suspended by a cord twound on the drum, and the parts are soadjusted that the lever N will be in the position shown in Fig. 5 onlywhen the valve I has closed the inlet-port, any movement of the valve Iin either direction resulting in the raising or lowering of the leverand the locking of the valve L.

The rim of the pulley J is provided with teeth or notches r, and thepulley R on the spindle of the valve L has a notch a, adapted to receivea projection n on a leverQ, pivoted at 3, and carrying a bolt 8, the endof which when raised will engage with the teeth 9'.

It will be evident that the pulley J can be turned only when the valve Lis shut, as any attempt to turn the latter will. depress the outer endof the lever Q and lock the pulley .I. By this means the valve L can beturned only when the valve I has closed the inletport, when it may berevolved to any required extent; but the instant it is moved it locksthe pulley J and keeps it locked until the adjustment of the valve L issuch as to close the port 10.

It will be seen that the valve L serves both to control the circulationthrough the pipe K and the passage to the supply and receiving tank; butit will be apparent that two valves may be used for this purpose, andthat valves of different forms may be substituted for those shown. It isnot essential, while it is advantageous, that the supply or receivingtank communicate with the circulating-pipes, as the communication maybemade with any partof the circulating channel-as, for instance, with thecylinder, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, where the valve L in thepipej' which the pressure is brought only upon one side of thelifting-piston.

\Vhere the engine is used for an elevator, the valves are provided withoperating-ropes h 71;, or connections whereby each may be operated fromthe platform.

I do not here claim; broadly, the combination, withan elevator having acirculating channel, of a supply or receiving tank or chamber, as thisforms the subject of Letters Patent issued to me February 1, 1887, No.357,1i7.

I elaim- 1. In a hydraulic engine, a cylinder, a piston therein, amain-\ 'alve device opening and closing communication between thecylinder and its supply, and pipes connecting said 1nain-valve devicewith the cylinder at opposite ends, in combination with a passage topermit circulation between said latter pipes independent of themain-valve device, a valve to close said passage, and connections between said valve and the elevator-cage, sub-' stantially as described.

2. A hydraulic engine provided with a cylinder, piston, circulating,supply, and discharge pipes, and stopping and starting valve devicewhereby the water circulates While the supply is cut oft from thecylinder, and

with a supplemental-valve device and communication between the same anda tank, and with connections between said supplemental valve device andthe cage, whereby at the will of the operator in the cage to establishand cut ott' communication independent of the main-valve device betweenthe circulating-pipes and the tank, substantially as described.

A cylinder, a piston operating therein, main valve and casing, andcirculating-pipes F and G, to connect the opposite ends of said cylinderwith the main-valve chamber, in combination with a circulating'pipe. K,connecting said pipes I and G, a pipe connecting said circulating-pipe Kwith a water-tank, and a valve arranged in said pipe K to open or closecommunication between the circulatingpipes F and G and between thecirculating pipe K and the pipe connected thereto, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, in a hydraulic engine, of the cylinder, its pistonand rod, and its supply and discharge pipes and their operating valveswith a circulating pipe or channel, a supply and receiving tank inconnnunication therewith, and a valve to control said coinnuinication.independent of the main-valve device, substantially as described.

5. A cylinder, a piston operating therein, circulatin g-pipes F and G,connect-in said cylinder with the main-valve chamber, and avalve in saidchamber to close communication with the supplyin circulating, incombination with a circulating-pipe K, interposed between said pipes Fand G, and having a valve, and a communication with a tank independentof the main discharge-pipe, and means, substantially as described, 'tooperate said valve from the cage, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

6. The combination, with the cylinder, the piston head and rod, thesupply, discharge, and circulating pipes or channels and theircontrolling valves of a doubleacting hydraulic engine, of a supply andreceiving tank communicating with the circulating pipe or channelthrough an opening controlled by a supplemental valve independent ofsaid main valve, and means, substantially as described, to operate saidsupplemental valve, as and for the purpose specified.

7. A cylinder, a piston operating therein, and circulating-pipes F andG, connecting the opposite ends of said cylinder with the main supplyand discharge pipes, in combination with a circulating-pipe K,connecting said pipes F and G, a water-tank in communication with saidpipe K, and a valve device adapted to simultaneously open or closecommunication between the circulating-pipes F and G and said pipe K andthe water-tank, substantially as described.

8. In a hydraulic engine, a main supplypipe, a valve-chambercommunicating therewith, and pipes F and G, connecting saidvalve-chamber with the opposite ends, respectively, of a cylinder, incombination with a pipe or channel between said pipes F and G, areceiving and supply tank separate from the main supply, a pipe orchannel forming a communication between said tank and thecirculating-pipe, and a valve adapted to simultaneously open or closecommunication between the pipes F and G and pipe K and tank,substantially as described.

9. The combination of the cylinder, piston, and piston-rod, pipes F G,valve-case communicating with the water-supply channel and provided witha valve, pipe connecting the pipes G and F and valve in said pipe,supply and receiving tank, and connections between the platform and thevalves, whereby both may be operated from the platform, substantially asset forth.

10. The combination of the cylinder, its piston and piston-rod, andcirculating-pipes having a valve, and the supply-tank, with a casecontaining the main valve and provided with two discharge-ports and anintermediate port connecting with the supply-pipe, substantially asdescribed.

11. The combination, with the hydraulic engine and itscirculating-pipes, of amain valve controlling the supply to anddischarge from the cylinder, a supply and receiving tank, and anindependent valve controlling communication therewith, and mechanism,substantially as described, to hold one of said valves in stationaryposition While the other is being operated, as and for the purposespecified.

12. In a hydraulic engine, the combination, with an independent valve tocontrol communication through the circulating-pipe thereof, and anotched disk, and a locking-lever, of

mechanism, substantially as described, to op-,

erate said disk and lever to hold said Valve in fixed position, as andfor the purpose specified.

13. The combination, with the main valve and its toothedoperating-pulley, and the independent valve of the circulating-pipe, ofa locking-bolt and lever controlled by said independent valve,substantially as described.

14:. The combination, with the main valve, its toothed operating-pulley,and a bolt adapted to engage therewith, of a lever adapted to engage andhold a valve within the circulating-pipe in stationary position when themain valve is being operated, substantially as described.

15. The combination, with the main valve, its toothed operating-pulley,and a bolt adapted to engage therewith, of an independent valve Withinthe circulating-pipe, a notched disk secured to said independent valve,a locking-lever to engage said disk, and means, substantiall y asdescribed, to move said lever into and out of engagement with said disk,as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' CHARLES E. FOSTER.

\Vii n esses:

A. E. T. HANSMANN, JOHN G. HINKEL.

